Nervous patients · Bayside Melbourne
Dental anxiety care in Cheltenham
Feeling anxious about dental treatment is common, and it is not something you need to explain or apologise for. At Park Road Dental in Cheltenham we would rather know beforehand, so the appointment can be run at a pace that works for you. Call (03) 9584 4949 and tell us when you book.
Anxiety about the dentist is common
Dental anxiety sits on a wide spectrum. For some people it is mild unease in the waiting room; for others it is strong enough that appointments get postponed for years, which tends to make the eventual visit feel higher-stakes than it needed to be.
It also has many origins — an uncomfortable experience years ago, a dislike of the sounds or the loss of control, worry about being judged for the state of your teeth, or a difficulty with confined spaces that has nothing specifically to do with dentistry. None of them are unusual and none of them are a reason to stay away.
How we work with nervous patients
The main thing is that nothing happens without being explained first. We talk through what we are going to do before we do it, and if you would rather know less detail, we will keep it brief — some people are settled by information and some are unsettled by it, so tell us which you are.
You can agree a stop signal with the dentist before treatment starts, and use it at any point. Appointments can be kept short, or a longer treatment can be broken into stages. And a first visit can be genuinely just a conversation, with nothing examined at all, if that is what you need to get through the door.
Tell us when you book
Mention it on the phone or in the notes when you book online. It is not an awkward thing to say and it changes practical decisions on our side — how much time to allow, which appointment slot to offer, and how the visit is approached.
If there is something specific that you find difficult — a particular instrument, the sound of the drill, lying flat, or not being able to see what is happening — say so. Specific information is far more useful to us than a general note that you are nervous.
Meet Toffee
Toffee is our certified therapy dog. She belongs to Dr Wei-Hun Tjio, who has been caring for patients at Park Road Dental since 2003, and her job at the practice is to sit quietly with people who would like the company.
You can ask for a few minutes with her before your appointment, or in some cases during it. Just mention Toffee when you book. Our page about Toffee has more, including when she is usually at the practice.
Bringing a child who is nervous
For children, the most useful thing is often a visit with no treatment in it at all — a look around, a ride in the chair, meeting the dentist, and going home again. It turns an unknown into a familiar place.
We avoid words that create alarm, explain things in terms a child can picture, and let them set some of the pace. Our children's dentistry page describes what a first visit involves, and eligible children can be bulk billed under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
If it has been a long time
People who have avoided the dentist for years often expect a lecture. You will not get one — we are interested in what you want to do from here, not in what has happened before now.
A first appointment after a long gap is usually an examination and a conversation, with a written plan of what could be done and in what order. You decide what happens next, including doing nothing for the moment. Nothing gets booked in without you agreeing to it.
Dental anxiety FAQs
What if I haven't been to a dentist in years?
That is more common than you would think, and it is not something you will be judged for. A first appointment is usually an examination and a conversation, ending with a written plan. What happens after that is your decision.
Can I stop partway through?
Yes. You can agree a stop signal with the dentist before treatment begins and use it at any point. Treatment can also be split into shorter appointments if that suits you better.
Can I just come in and look around first?
Yes. A first visit can be a conversation with nothing examined, and for children a look around and a ride in the chair is often the easiest way to start. Mention it when you book so we allow the time.
Can I bring someone with me?
Of course. Many people find it easier with a familiar person in the room, and that is completely fine.
Can I ask for Toffee?
Yes — mention Toffee when you book and we will arrange for her to be there if she is at the practice that day. There is no extra charge.
Book a first visit in Cheltenham
New patients are welcome and no referral is needed. We are open six days, including Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, with on-site parking.
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